Fire at Sea: The Battle of the Denmark Strait

Every hit draws one card from the side's damage deck. If range is within the Gun Damage Chart value for firer vs target class (e.g. BB/BC vs BB/BC 3 spaces), draw another; if higher than the previous card it also counts, and drawing continues until a card of equal or lower value appears.

If you are in the range listed then draw a second card and if the value is higher than the previous card it is also a hit. Continue drawing damage cards until you draw a card that is of equal or lower value

Ace: gunnery radar hit (+2 shooting number); King: gunnery hit (+1); Queen/Jack: speed hit (+1 speed number); 4-10: hull damage equal to value; 3: bridge hit (lose one Captain Point permanently); 2: magazine hit, roll 2d6 and on 10+ the ship is sunk, otherwise +1 shooting number.

Magazine Hit! Roll both six-sided dice. On 10+ the ship is sunk. If not sunk then +1 to ship’s shooting number.

Number cards 4-10 cause hull damage equal to their value, tracked with HULL markers; hulls are e.g. Bismarck 30, Hood 25, Prinz Eugen 18. Hull damage cannot be repaired and every 7 points worsens speed by 1.

Hull: The number of accumulated hull damage points caused by damage that a ship can take before it sinks.

Drawn damage cards are compared to the target ship's armour list against that firer: e.g. Bismarck vs Hood/PoW takes damage from all Spades, all Clubs and Diamonds 5-7, never Hearts. Cards not listed are discarded without effect.

you compare the card to the armor of the target ship. if it is listed on the target ship’s armor then it causes damage.

After shooting, the firer places one of its two splash markers in the target's space, and the second on a subsequent turn's shot at the same ship; each gives -1 to the shooting number. Markers move with the target ship and are all removed if the firer switches targets.

After shooting, place one of your Splash Markers in the enemy space. Place your second Splash Marker when you fire at the ship on a subsequent turn. (All Splash Markers are removed when you shoot at a different ship.)

Each ship fires at one enemy per turn. Modifiers: +1 per space of range, -1 per 2 Captain Points, -1 per own splash marker on the target, +1 per King and +2 per Ace gunnery damage card, +1 if failed morale, +2 if target outside broadside. Example: Bismarck shooting 5 at range 4 with two splashes needs 7.

To score a hit you must roll both six-sided dice and score a result equal to or higher than the firing ship’s modified shooting number.

One 2d6 roll is used for both ships of a side; if it equals or exceeds a ship's modified Speed number, the ship moves forward one space (or forward diagonal) or turns 45 degrees; otherwise it may only turn 45 degrees. Speed is worsened +1 per Jack/Queen damage card and +1 per 7 points of hull damage. Spending 3 Captain Points allows both a move and a turn.

If the ‘speed roll’ die is equal to or greater than the ship’s modified speed then it may move forward one space, (which may be a forward diagonally adjacent space) -OR- may change direction 45-degrees

A ship that passes its speed roll may move or turn 45 degrees; one that fails may only turn 45 degrees. Facing determines broadside: firing at a target outside the broadside adds +2 to the shooting number.

If unsuccessful the ship may only change direction 45-degrees

The 4'x4' cloth is gridded in 6-inch squares; only one ship may occupy a square and ships face either a side or a corner of their square. Ships may leave the map except to the north (Greenland ice). Range is counted in squares, diagonally included.

During the game only one ship may occupy a space. A ship faces the side of a space -or- the corner of a space.

Captain Points (typically 3-5) are spent through the turn: every 2 committed to shooting give -1 to the shooting number, 3 allow move-and-turn, any number add to damage control rolls, and each used gives -1 to the morale number. Bridge hits permanently remove a Captain Point. Scenario flotillas use Commodore Points (+1 per point, max one per shot).

They are ‘use or lose’ each turn and may be used for: Shooting, Movement, Damage Control and Morale Checks. Expend them as you move through the turn.

In the MTB Attack scenario each German torpedo boat rolls a d3 at the end of each movement phase and spots British flotillas within that many spaces; until spotted Germans may not fire and must steam straight ahead.

Each German torpedo boat rolls a d3 and will spot British flotillas that many spaces away.

Two 52-card decks without jokers are used, German ships drawing from the German damage deck and British from theirs. Suit drives penetration and rank drives effect.

Two 52-card decks of playing cards with the Jokers removed are needed to resolve damage effects.

2d6 roll-equal-or-higher is used for speed, shooting (vs modified shooting number), damage control (10+), morale and magazine (10+).

You will need two standard six sided dice to resolve shooting.

Examples: Tovey 'Sea Dog' rerolls speed rolls of 2-3; Holland 'Expert Gunnery' rerolls missing doubles; Lütjens 'For the Fatherland' +1 to one die roll per turn but may be killed by a Bridge hit on 9+; Schmundt 'Mercurial' rolls 2d6 for his morale each phase.

Fighter: Roll 2d6 before the shooting phase. On a 9+ his ship fires before the British and any hits take effect immediately.

The British pick an Admiral (Tovey or Holland) for Hood and any captain for Prince of Wales; the Germans have Lütjens on Bismarck and spend up to 5 points on captains for Bismarck and Prinz Eugen, cards costing 1-4 points.

They then spend up to 5 points to buy captains for both the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen.

A Failed Morale ship has +1 to its shooting number and must move to increase range to the enemy if possible; failed ships count toward the opponent's victory.

Effects of Failed Morale • +1 to ship’s shooting number. • The ship must move to increase the range to the enemy if possible.

Roll 2d6 equal to or greater than the captain's morale; modifiers -1 per Captain Point used, +1 per damage card, +2 if currently failed. Failure marks Failed Morale; a ship with Failed Morale removes it by passing.

To check morale roll both six-sided dice. If the result is equal to or greater than the modified Captain’s morale then the ship carries on.

Pick one Gunnery, Gunnery Radar, Magazine or Speed card; roll 2d6 plus any Captain Points spent; 10+ discards it. If the unmodified roll was odd the damage becomes permanent, if even it may be retried next turn. Hull and Bridge damage cannot be fixed.

If the unmodified roll was an odd number, the damage is permanent; if the roll was even then you may try to discard the damage on a subsequent turn.

Each ship fires at one enemy per turn; range counts +1 per space and targets not in the broadside add +2. Gun Damage Chart ranges by class pairing govern multiple damage cards.

+2 if firing at a target not in your broadside. (see diagram)

Germans win if both British ships are sunk and/or at Failed Morale, or there are at least 6 zones between the fleets; British win if both German ships are sunk and/or at Failed Morale. Michel scenarios use VPs instead.

The German player wins if both British ships are sunk and/or currently have failed morale -OR- there are at least 6 zones (counting diagonally) between the German and British ships.

Scenario 1 (MTB Attack) and Scenario 2 (DD Attack) pit British light forces against the raider Michel and five torpedo boats, with Channel Dash forced movement, VP scoring and a mini-campaign option where damage carries over. Ship cards add torpedo values and repairable/permanent damage tracks.

If you are playing this as a two scenario mini-campaign then damage incurred in Scenario 1 carries over to this scenario.

British move first then Germans; Germans shoot first then British but all shooting effects apply simultaneously; then ships attempt repairs; then ships hit this turn or with Failed Morale check morale. Victory is checked at turn end and the game lasts until one side wins.

Each turn is divided into the following four phases: 1. Movement Phase ... 2. Shooting Phase ... 3. Damage Control Phase ... 4. Morale Phase

The German player resolves shots first, then the British, but damage effects are not applied until after the British have fired. A captain ability (Fighter) can make his ship's hits take effect immediately.

Although the German player must resolve his shots first, the effects of all shooting are not applied until after the British player fires.